A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيم Imam Shams ad-Din Muhammad ibn Abu Thalib al-Answari ad-Dimashqi ( q.s. ) wrote, in Mawrid as-Sa’di fi Mawlid , “It is proven that Abu Lahab’s punishment in the Fire is Reduced every Monday because he rejoiced at the birth of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), and freed the slave-woman, Tsuwaybah ( r.a. ).   When Abu Lahab, whose lasting abode is hell fire, and regarding whom, the entire Surah of Tabad Yada was Revealed, gets Relief in his torment every Monday, then imagine the situation of one who has spent his life in rejoicing over the birth of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) and died as such.”   Surah of Tabad Yada is also known as Surah Lahab.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ A non-Muslim is not a kafir .  A non-Muslim is simply ghayr Muslim .  A kafir , on the other hand, refers specifically to someone who has recognised the truth and then denied it.  An example of a kafir would be Abu Lahab ‘Abd al-‘Uzza ibn ‘Abd al-Muththalib, who knew the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) before the advent of Revelation, recognised his qualities, and then denied him out of spite.  That is a kafir .   We have no right to declare non-Muslims to be kuffar when there is nothing of the truth to be recognised by most Muslims.  The ummah is a terrible advertisement of Islam and a disgrace.  We should be amazed that people even convert to Islam, and stay considering how terrible Muslims are.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Ustadz Fakhr ad-Din Uwaysi al-Madani said, expressing happiness and celebrating the Prophet ( s.a.w. ) on his birthday causes even non-believers, by Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Favour and Mercy, to gain some benefit.  Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Isma’il al-Bukhari (r.a.) recorded, in Swahih al-Bukhari , the hadits that every Monday, Abu Lahab ‘Abd al-‘Uzza ibn ‘Abd al-Muththalib is released from punishment in his grave because he freed his handmaid Tsuwaybah ( r.a. ) when she brought him the news of the Prophet’s ( s.a.w. ) birth.  This hadits is mentioned in Swahih al-Bukhari in the “Book of Nikah ”.  Hafizh ‘Imad ad-Din  Abu al-Fida’   Isma‘il ibn ‘Umar ibn Katsir ( r.a. ) mentioned it in his books, Sirah an-Nabi , Mawlid an-Nabi , and al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah .

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Shams ad-Din Muhammad ibn Naswir ad-Din ad-Dimashqi ( r.a. ) wrote, in his Mawrid asw-Swadi fi Mawlid al-Hadi :   “If this is a kafir whose Damnation has been Proclaimed, With, ‘Perish the hands,’ in the Hellfire for eternity; It has been transmitted to us that on Mondays always, His Punishment is Made lighter for his joy with Ahmad. What does one think, then, of the servant whose whole life Is made joyful by Ahmad and he dies as a monotheist?”   Abu Lahab ‘Abd al-‘Uzza ibn ‘Abd al-Muththalib was Explicitly Condemned in the Qur’an:   سُوۡرَةُ لهب / المَسَد بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ تَبَّتۡ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍ۬ وَتَبَّ (١) مَآ أَغۡنَىٰ عَنۡهُ مَالُهُ ۥ وَمَا ڪَسَبَ (٢) سَيَصۡلَىٰ نَارً۬ا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ (٣)   In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Perish the hands of the Father of Flame!   Perish he!   No profit to him from all his wealth, and all his gai...